Innovative OPOC Engine: Opposed Piston Opposed Cylinder Engine

Internal Combustion Engines are widely used in vehicles. It uses fuel in confined space. The engine has the portability and is more convenient over electricity, hybrid vehicles, etc. But the major drawback of this engines is pollution that they put out. Internal Combustion Engines creates air pollution in large amount. To replace this engine, many engineers are working on new technologies like electric motors, hybrid power trains, hydrogen fuel cells and even cars that run on compressed air. But none of this technologies are efficient. So, we really need a better internal combustion engine.

Here is the good news: Better internal combustion engines are on the way.

A company called an Ecomotor developing the new Engine named as Opposed-Piston-Opposed-Cylinder Engine. Opposed- Piston-Opposed-Cylinder (OPOC) Engine is the most exciting new type of internal combustion engines.

The architecture of OPOC Engine:

The OPOC engine is an opposed-piston opposed-cylinder, 2-stroke engine. It consists of two cylinders with a piston at both ends. It has no cylinder head so there are no valves.

Each piston travels about half the distance of a piston in a conventional engine. As compare to other conventional engines, the OPOC has drastically small size.

Modularity Loop

The opposed cylinder with the piston has very low bearing loads. It means, there will be less friction as compared to the conventional engine.

Each piston in the engine has a single crankshaft with connecting rods (inner pistons have short connecting rods, and the opposing outer pistons have long connecting rods).

When the pistons move together, it compresses the intake charge for ignition. It simply means the engine has high power density.

Working of OPOC Engine:

As I said above, the OPOC engine is a type of Internal Combustion engine, so there are no chances of emissions. The OPOC engine is emission-free.

The engine makes a complete cycle with two piston movements. It intakes and exhausts simultaneously during the initiation of the compression stroke and at the completion of the combustion stroke. This process allows the engines to give very high power for their weight.